Those with Pectus Excavatum

[NinjaGreg]

Anyone that has pectus excavatum or "sunken chest", post pictures of your chest area, before or after you started bodybuilding.

I will post mine soon, I only have a mild case of this but it still effects my chest development. I'm wondering how much better you can make your chest look when bodybuilding.

[GeorgiaDawg]

Yea, I've got that condition. Here's a pic from 3 months ago. I don't think I have a good before pic, but I can look for one if you want.

[piperman]

Yes, I have an extreme case of pec-ex and also deformed lower ribcage; this makes for no definition of the abs, and, of course, the pecs don't show much even when they have enlarged due to the lower bones. Here are two pictures, one from ten years ago and the other from recently:

Piperman

[WoOd]

Wow my friend has that. Thought it was just wierd genetics, didn't know it was a condition.

[piperman]

Wow my friend has that. Thought it was just wierd genetics, didn't know it was a condition.

There is a syndrome known as Marfan in which the afflicted person has a connective tissue disorder. In extreme cases there is either the pectum excavatum or the opposite, very long and thin limbs, flat feet and, most dangerous of all, tissue in the arteries of the heart which stretches until, without warning usually, it breaks and causes instant death. Several athletes have died on the court because of this (basketball, volleyball).

I have tested negative for this syndrome; but I do have the chest deformity and very long arms and legs in proportion to the rest of my body. Hence my difficulty in getting much appreciable muscle mass. As long as I continue to gain strength and keep in good health, I'm not complaining! At age 68 I think my heart has done pretty well, being squished into a smaller space.

Piperman

[brianphi]

I had surgery when I was about 10yrs old... I'm 27 now, started lifting 2 yrs ago. I'm 6'2", started at 143lbs, and am now 171... I don't take lifting super serious as far as getting big, but I do go every night for 45-60 minutes and am *trying* to force myself to eat more. Anyways, nice to see other people with the same condition, I've never met any!

[piperman]

Anyways, nice to see other people with the same condition, I've never met any!

Me too! In all my 68 years, I have never seen anyone with a depression in the chest as deep as mine. Brianphi, you are fortunate not to have the lower bones jutting out, as that tends to hide any development in the pecs.

Piperman

[zxcager]

Yea, I've got that condition. Here's a pic from 3 months ago. I don't think I have a good before pic, but I can look for one if you want.

I don't see anything wrong with your, er, facade.

[NinjaGreg]

Yea, I've got that condition. Here's a pic from 3 months ago. I don't think I have a good before pic, but I can look for one if you want.

Yeah yours is about to the degree mine is. This is motivation to keep working out....because sometimes having an indention in your chest can be alittle discouraging. Keep posting pics this is great!

[joey_tgstk]

Have any of you taken the surgery to get it fixed? I'm considering it, but then I wouldn't be able to lift(a bookbag) for over 6 months. How much muscle would I loose? Are there any products to help prevent muscle loss?

-Joey

[morgansd12]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attach...hmentid=160362

When IU had no mass it wsa really obvious.

Please post any information you have about this. I have never heard about it but I always had "the hole".

[Com-Shuk]

i have it and it sucks as far as the stomach is concerned, makes it bigger than ti should be.

first pict = great angle

second pict = good angle

last pict = when i had about 30lbs less in mass but still accurate
looks better now though

[Com-Shuk]

now from the front

http://www3.sympatico.ca/31337/MostMuscular.jpg

ima buy a back belt (same that ppl use for lifgting) but one thats soft cause iprefer them and ill wear it daily to get my lower ribs to go back inside

[xman66]

hey yall,
i too have this thing. it really sucks cause u cant like define the area right under your pecs.... its just skin on bones... o well i guess i have to live with it. Post comments if possible. thankx yalll

[piperman]

I've had this all my life (naturally!) and have learned to live with it. When I was young there wasn't much they could do about it. I think that my indentation and the lower bones thrusting out are more extreme than any pictures of others I have seen. And I have never seen anyone in my life who has it like I do.

[*ShaGGs*]

now from the front

http://www3.sympatico.ca/31337/MostMuscular.jpg

ima buy a back belt (same that ppl use for lifgting) but one thats soft cause iprefer them and ill wear it daily to get my lower ribs to go back inside

looking good regardless bro.
HAHA and what with the buffy tape being held up

[Kroms]

I don't have a sink hole in the middle of my chest.. but it's on the lower right side... just underneath the peck. I don't know if you guys have tried this, but heavy pullovers can help to reshape the ribcage.

[threespikes]

well im glad i dont have that codition but i have an birth mark on my chest right by my niple and it looks like i have a third niple but nothing makeup cant fix

[Com-Shuk]

looking good regardless bro.
HAHA and what with the buffy tape being held up

proving to internet ***s that it was really me cuz i used to be ubersmall and they know i like buffy

[zxcager]

Yea, I've got that condition. Here's a pic from 3 months ago. I don't think I have a good before pic, but I can look for one if you want.

What's wrong with your chest? It looks perfectly alright to me.

[enigma_linear]

My friend when he was about 8 or 9 had a sunken chest. It was really weird. I'm not sure if he grew out of it, because I can't tell he's gotten so big and i don't see him without a shirt on that often.

[macanudo]

Yes, I have an extreme case of pec-ex and also deformed lower ribcage; this makes for no definition of the abs, and, of course, the pecs don't show much even when they have enlarged due to the lower bones. Here are two pictures, one from ten years ago and the other from recently:

Piperman

too much info guys!

[wannabestud]

I have just the opposite...slight "pectus carinatum"

[Determ1ned]

I wasnt aware that so many people suffered with this. When I was 13 years old I had surgery to bring my chest up. My ribs were pressing in on my sternum and lowering the capacity of my lungs. When I was young I would give out of breath before all the kids I played with because of this. The Dr. told us that I was about to hit another growth spirt and he highly recommended me having the surgery. THey were expecting to go in and build a bridge to help hold it up. Instead when they cut back some fo the ribs the sternum rose on its own. I still have a dip in my chest at 24 years old and a scar to go along with it right down the middle of my chest but atleast Im alive today. Ive been weight lifting for only 6 months now but I do it atleast 4 days a week. I dont have any pics or I would post them. I will try to get some later.

[s13zilvia]

I have it, but had surgery to supposedly get rid of it, but all it did was move up in my chest area. Now I have a caved in middle chest area, but since I started BB it has gotten smaller as my muscle is helping to cover it up. The scar sucks, and it still is pretty noticeable, but Ive learned to live with it. The doctor said I would have numbness from the surgery for a while, well its been 4 years and I still have numbness in and around the area. It has gotten better thru out the years but I still dont think it will ever fully come back. They had to remove one of my ribs for some odd reason, so that makes it hard for me to do ab exercises, it hurts a little and feels funny for some reason. If I had it to do over again I wouldnt do the surgery and I dont suggest it for anyone unless it effects your overall health. Oh and also If you dont like having a steel bar in your chest for a while than I wouldnt get it done.

[Determ1ned]

I have it, but had surgery to supposedly get rid of it, but all it did was move up in my chest area. Now I have a caved in middle chest area, but since I started BB it has gotten smaller as my muscle is helping to cover it up. The scar sucks, and it still is pretty noticeable, but Ive learned to live with it. The doctor said I would have numbness from the surgery for a while, well its been 4 years and I still have numbness in and around the area. It has gotten better thru out the years but I still dont think it will ever fully come back. They had to remove one of my ribs for some odd reason, so that makes it hard for me to do ab exercises, it hurts a little and feels funny for some reason. If I had it to do over again I wouldnt do the surgery and I dont suggest it for anyone unless it effects your overall health. Oh and also If you dont like having a steel bar in your chest for a while than I wouldnt get it done.

The steel bar treatment wasnt available when I had mine done.

[muscl_savant]

I had surgery when I was about 10yrs old... I'm 27 now, started lifting 2 yrs ago. I'm 6'2", started at 143lbs, and am now 171... I don't take lifting super serious as far as getting big, but I do go every night for 45-60 minutes and am *trying* to force myself to eat more. Anyways, nice to see other people with the same condition, I've never met any!

I've seen a couple of dudes with sunken chests. In a magazine, I saw an older dude (maybe 28) that had extensive surgery. His rib cage looked completely normal after all the surgeries. He was able to bodybuild and get big pecs. But, he had a lot more scars than you.
At any rate, cut your meals in half to eat 6 small meals, like every 3 hours. Once you get used to that, you can up your calories. I think everybody can bulk, it's just getting your stomach to stretch slowly.

[reayz200]

has anyone ever herd of a chest tht stiks out mine does i will have to get pictures to show u al?

[pytron]

I have a sunken chest too, didn't know it was a condition. My mom has it too although mine is worse. Mine is rounded and not that deep (maybe 2 inches), kind of like the radius of softball. It's a good size for putting stuff in when you are laying down on a couch - upright soda cans, m&m's, etc. Good for party tricks.

Now that I started weight lifting I can really tell that my right pec is smaller and less developed than my left (I'm right-handed, so not sure how that plays into it). Good to know that I'm not the only one.

[morgansd12]

I have a sunken chest too, didn't know it was a condition. My mom has it too although mine is worse. Mine is rounded and not that deep (maybe 2 inches), kind of like the radius of softball. It's a good size for putting stuff in when you are laying down on a couch - upright soda cans, m&m's, etc. Good for party tricks.

Now that I started weight lifting I can really tell that my right pec is smaller and less developed than my left (I'm right-handed, so not sure how that plays into it). Good to know that I'm not the only one.

Dude....my right pec is a little smaller as well, I am working on bringing it up. I am also right handed. My right trap WAS smaller (most parts of my right side except bi's actually) but it is now almost perfectly symmetrical.

I have pics posted if you want to check em out just run a search, in the pics forum.